Fifth-wheel.



Patented Aug. I4, |900. N. c. SMIT-H. i FIFTH WHEEL.

(Application led June 2, 1900.)

(N0 Model.)

Ill l! ly Witwe/ooe@ Unrrnn @raras l armar erica@ NORMAN o. sMrrH, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

FIFTH-WH ssl.;

srncrrrcarron foaming part @traders resent No. 655,836, dated august 14, ieoo. Application madam@ 2,1900, serjalNo. 18,876. (Hommel.)

To @Uitl/'hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN C. SMITH, a citi-V Zen ofthe United States, residing at Waterloo, in the county of Black Hawk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and usetnl Fifth-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fifth-wheels for vehicles; and the object is to provide an inexpensive iifthwrheel which Will effectually prevent jarring of the king-bolt and evenly snpport the wagon-body, and thereby prevent the strain and distortion of the gear ordinarily produced by the uneven loading of the vehicle. Ordinarily in devices of this character one of the elements of the Wheel is of circular form, While the engaging element is simply provided with a substantiallyinverted T- shaped opening for the circular element or disk, as this arrangement provides for the ready separation of the partswhen the kingbolt is drawn without necessity for the complete disassociation of the fif tl1-wheel. TWhere both elements of the wheel are made in oircular form the interiittingy annular flange is bolted or otherwise detachably secured upon one of the members or the members are otherwise given a sectional character in order to facilitate the disassociation of the elements of the wheel. These various formsof ifth- Wheels either present insuiicient bearing-surfaces or the assembling of their elements entails the attachment of a large number of loose parts, which is not only expensive but laborious.

The Object of myinvention is to produce a ftlrwhcel having a maximum area of bearing-surfaces, the members being` of novelA form and one of them composed of a single casting and the otherof a pair of semicircular sections deiined by a joint extending transverse to the bolster or axle, as the case may be,-to which the sections are bolted and which serve to retain them against such relative movement as would effect their displacement. To the accomplishment of the objects stated and others subordinate thereto, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the preferred embodiment of the invent-ion consists in the construction and arrangement hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and embraced Within the scope of the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure lisa sectional eleA vationof the head-block and axle of avehicle, illustrating the application of my fth- Wheel thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the fifth-wheel detached, and Fig. 3 is a `perspective view ofthe subject-matter ofFig. 2 with one of the sections of the upper disk removed.

Referring to the numerals of reference einployed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, l indicates the front axle of the vehicle, upon opposite sides of which are bolted a pair of depending parallel bed-plate flanges 2, cast integral with a circular bed-plate 3, formed with diametrically-opposite peripheral bolt-lugs 4, retained upon the upper face of the axle by bolts 5. From the upper face of the bed-plate 3 and arranged concentrically thereon extends a circular bed-block 6 of considerably-smaller diameter than the disk 3 and surmounted by a circular head-disk or table '7 of greater diameter than the block 6, but of somewhatsmaller diameter than the disk 3, to constitute the periphery of the head-disk, an extended annular iiange overhan gin g the annular bearing-face 8, defined upon the upper `face ot' the disk 3 between the periphery of said disk and the peripheral face of the bedblock 6.V The flanges 2, disk 3, block 6, and head-disk 7 are all cast integral and constin tute one element of the fifth-Wheel rigidly retained upon the axle, as stated, by means of the bolts 5, passing through the lugs 4c, and by bolts 9, passing transversely through the axle and the flanges 2. The casting thus constructed is pierced axially by an opening l0, through 'which the king-bolt ll is designed to pass. Above the axle is disposed, as usual, the head-blocker front bolster l2, upon the opposite sides of which are disposed and secured by bolts 18 a pair of parallel upstanding bolt-ilanges 14, cast with the upper member or bearing-disk l5 of the fifth-Wheel.

-The disk`l5 lies at upon the upper face of the head-disk 7 and is of like diameter with the bed-disk 3, so that its edge projects beyond the edge of the disk 7for the accommodation of a downwardly-*disposed bearingring 16, fitting against the periphery ot the disk 7, and the lower edge of which is inturned to form an inturned annular bearing'- flange 17 of a width corresponding to the width of the bearing-face S of the disk 3 and having a bearing upon the disk against the periphery of the bed-block and upon the under face of the head-disk 7, it being understood that the bearing-disk 15, ring 16, and inturned iiange 17 are cast integral and that the disk 15 is provided with an axial opening 18 for the passage of the king-bolt, which, as premised, pierces both elements of the wheel axially and extends through the front bolster and axle, respectively.

It has been stated that one ol the primary objects of the invention is to secure a maximum area of bearing-surfaces in a fifth-wheel of extraordinary simplicity. The vast area of bearing-surfaces is secured by the construction specified; but it will appear that provision must be made for assembling the elements thus constructed. This is done by forming the upper element or Wheel member in a pair of semicylindrical sections, the straight diametrical edges of the sections defilling the joint between said sections being disposed at right angles or transverse t-o the bolster, and therefore as a matter of course to the flanges 14, the purpose of this peculiar relation of the joint being to eliminate the possibility of relative movement of the sections under the torsional strain to which devices of this character are constantly subjected. Bolt-lugs 19, similar to the lugs 4, are provided upon the sections of the bearingdisk 15 to facilitate the attachment of said disk to the bolster.

It will now appear that when the fifth-Wheel is assembled, asl illustrated inv Fig. 1 of the drawings, an extended bearing will be provided by the contact between the opposed faces of the disks 15 and 17 of the ring 16 and the periphery of the disk 17 and by the contact of the inturned flange 17 with the opposed faces of the disks 3 and 7 and with the periphery of the bed-block 6. It will also appear that the semicircular sections of the upper Wheel member will be rigidly retained in juxtaposition by the bolster secured thereon at right angles to the joint and that the device may be quickly disassociated by removing the securing-bolts of one of the sections of the upper wheel member and by sliding said section out of engagement with the lower Wheel member, which may then be readily withdrawn from the other section of the upper member without necessitating its detachment from the bolster. Attention is called, further, to the fact that by the provision of the parallel bolt-lianges and the bolt-lugs extending in planes at right angles to them each Wheel member is rmly attached to the axle or bolster, as the case may be, by bolts passing through said elements both vertically and horizontally. I desire it to be understood,how ever, that while the embodiment of my invention illustrated and described is considered preferable at this time I wish to reserve the right to effect such structural modilcations and variations as may be embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is- 1. Aiifth-wheelcomposed ofanon-sectional or single-piece member comprising a beddisk, parallel bolt-anges extending from one face of the disk, a circular bed-block of smaller' diameter than the disk and extending from the opposite face thereof, and a headdisk surmounting the bed-block and having its edges extending beyond said block, and a second member composed of two semicylindrical sections which, when retained in effective relation with each other and with the first-named member, comprises a bearingdisk having a bearing upon the head-disk, a bearing-ring depending from the bearing-disk and bearing against the periphery of the headdisk, and an inturned horizontal bearingiiange below the bearing-ring and bearing against the opposed faces of the bed-disk and head-disk and against the periphery of the bed-block, and a pair of parallel bolt-flanges extending from the face of the bearing-disk opposite the head-disk, said `lianges being disposed at right angles to the joint between the sections of the second wheel member.

2. A fifth-wheel comprising a lower member cast in a single piece and comprising a horizontal bed-disk, a horizontal head-disk of somewhat-smaller diameter, and an intermediate circular bed-block of smaller diameter than the head-disk, the bed-disk being provided with diametrically-opposed bolt-lugs extending from its periphery and with a pair of depending parallel bolt-anges located at opposite sides of the bolt-lugs and extending entirely across the disk, and an upper wheel membercomposed of two identical semicylindrical sections each section being composed of a semicylindrical bearing-disk section, a depending semicircular bearing-ring section, a horizontal semicircular bearing-flange, and a pair of opstanding bolt-flanges disposed at right angles to the straight diametrical edge of the section, each bearing-disk section being provided with a peripheral bolt-Hangs located in a plane intermediate of, and at right angles to, the upstanding bolt-flanges, and said wheel members being provided with axial openings for the reception of a king-bolt.

3. A fifth-wheel comprising a pair of interfitting, circular members, one of said members being composed of two sections and having means for attaching the sections to the support with the joint between the sections disposed in a direction transverse to said support.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

NORMAN C. SMITH.

Vitnesses:

NELSON HITCHCOCK, C. D. KERN.

IIO 

